Elon hires golf coach with Tar Heels background

Published: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 01:26 AM.

ELON — Don Hill, a former North Carolina player and assistant coach, was named men’s golf coach at Elon University on Monday.

He replaces the retiring Bill Morningstar, a member of the school’s Class of 1964, who spent 41 years at Elon and coached three sports.

Hill served the last two seasons as the associate head men’s golf coach at South Carolina, which has secured back-to-back NCAA bids and finished two shots shy of Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Prior to that stint with the Gamecocks, Hill worked eight years as a North Carolina assistant coach, from 2004-2011. The Tar Heels won 10 tournaments during that timeframe, including the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference title.

“Don Hill has experienced tremendous success at every level of his golf career and we are very excited to welcome him to Elon University,” Elon athletics director Dave Blank said in a prepared statement. “Don’s commitment to academic excellence along with his background as both a coach and player make him a perfect fit at Elon. We are confident Don will be able to bring a very high level of experience to our program.”

As a college player, Hill became a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performance and a two-time honorable mention All-American in 1998 and 1999. He was the ACC’s individual runner-up in 1998 and finished 10th in the 1999 NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina placed 10th in the NCAAs in 1997 and 1999 with Hill as one of its standouts.

ELON — Don Hill, a former North Carolina player and assistant coach, was named men’s golf coach at Elon University on Monday.

He replaces the retiring Bill Morningstar, a member of the school’s Class of 1964, who spent 41 years at Elon and coached three sports.

Hill served the last two seasons as the associate head men’s golf coach at South Carolina, which has secured back-to-back NCAA bids and finished two shots shy of Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Prior to that stint with the Gamecocks, Hill worked eight years as a North Carolina assistant coach, from 2004-2011. The Tar Heels won 10 tournaments during that timeframe, including the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference title.

“Don Hill has experienced tremendous success at every level of his golf career and we are very excited to welcome him to Elon University,” Elon athletics director Dave Blank said in a prepared statement. “Don’s commitment to academic excellence along with his background as both a coach and player make him a perfect fit at Elon. We are confident Don will be able to bring a very high level of experience to our program.”

As a college player, Hill became a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performance and a two-time honorable mention All-American in 1998 and 1999. He was the ACC’s individual runner-up in 1998 and finished 10th in the 1999 NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina placed 10th in the NCAAs in 1997 and 1999 with Hill as one of its standouts.

Hill, a native of Mount Olive, is a graduate of Southern Wayne High School and North Carolina.

He called Morningstar a “living legend” in a statement released by Elon.

“It was easy to see when I stepped foot on campus why this place has been so special for him for so long,” Hill said.

“The opportunity to coach at Elon was very enticing and it is exciting to see all the growth that is taking place at the university,” he said. “I really believe we can build something special at Elon given the school, academics, community and facilities.”